Don't Know Tough
“Don’t Know Tough is Southern noir at its finest, a cauldron of terrible choices and even more terrible outcomes.”
New York Times Book Review
Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel
Finalist for the Dashiell Hammett Prize
A USA Today Best Book of 2022
A New York Times Book Review pick of the Year's Best Crime Books
A CrimeReads Pick of Best Crime Books of 2022
Winner of the Peter Lovesey Contest for First Crime Novel
In Denton, Arkansas, the fate of the high school football team rests on the shoulders of Billy Lowe, a volatile but talented running back.
Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, but when his savagery crosses a line, he faces suspension.
Without Billy Lowe, the Denton Pirates can kiss their playoff bid goodbye. But the head coach, Trent Powers, who just moved from California with his wife and two children for this job, has more than just his paycheck riding on Billy’s bad behavior. As a born-again Christian, Trent feels a divine calling to save Billy—save him from his circumstances, and save his soul.
Then Billy’s abuser is found murdered in the Lowe family trailer, and all evidence points toward Billy. Now nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the whole town apart on the eve of the playoffs.
Praise